BothmyparentscamefromtownsinMexico.ThenIwasborninE1Paso，TexasandwhenIwasfour,myfamilymovedtoahousingprojectinEastLosAngeles.Eventhoughwestruggledtomakeendsmeet,myparentsstressedtomeandmyfourbrother

　　BothmyparentscamefromtownsinMexico.ThenIwasborninE1Paso，TexasandwhenIwasfour,myfamilymovedtoahousingprojectinEastLosAngeles.

　　Eventhoughwestruggledtomakeendsmeet,myparentsstressedtomeandmyfourbrothersandsistershowfortunateweweretoliveinagreatcountrywithlimitlessopportunities.Theyinfluenceduswiththeconceptsoffamily,faithandnationalism.

　　IgotmyfirstrealjobwhenIwasten.Mydadinjuredhisbackworkinginacardboard­boxfactoryandwasretrainedasahairstylist.HerentedspaceinalittleshoppingmallandgavehisshopthefancynameofMr.Ben’sCoiffure.

　　TheowneroftheshoppingcentergaveDadadiscountonhisrentforcleaningtheparkinglotthreenightsaweek，whichmeantgettingupat3a．m..Topickuprubbish,Dadusedalittlemachinethatlookedlikealawnmower.MomandIemptiedgarbagecansandpickeduplitterbyhand.Ittooktwotothreehourstocleanthelot.I’dsleepinthecaronthewayhome.

　　Ididthisfortwoyears，butthelessonsIlearnedhavelastedalifetime.Iacquireddisciplineandastrongworkethic(道德),andlearnedatanearlyagetheimportanceofbalancinglife’scompetinginterests－inmycase，school，homeworkandajob.Thisreallyhelpedduringmysenioryearofahighschool,whenIworked40hoursaweekflippingburgersatafast­foodjointwhiletakingafullloadofcollegepreparationcourses.

　　Thehardworkpaidoff.IattendedtheU．S.MilitaryAcademyandwentontoreceivegraduatedegreesinlawandbusinessfromHarvard.Later,IjoinedabigLosAngeleslawfirmandwaselectedtotheCaliforniaStateAssembly(州议会)．InthesejobsandineverythingelseI’vedone,Ihaveneverforgottenthosenightsintheparkinglot.Theexperiencetaughtmethatthereisdignityinallworkandthatifpeopleareworkingtoprovideforthemselvesandtheirfamiliesthatissomethingweshouldhonor.

　　59.Beforemyfathergotinjured，we________.

　　A.didn’tlikelivingintheUSA B.livedapoorbuthappylife

　　C.wereluckytomovetotheUSA D.hadmanywaystom